1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to explosive blast protection devices for vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern combat theaters require new operational doctrines to counter unsymmetrical and unpredictable threats. Vehicles, such as tanks, personnel carriers, trucks, and the like, operating in such theaters must be light, agile, and maneuverable while protecting personnel in the vehicles from the deleterious effects of explosive blasts. Mines and improvised explosive devices pose significant threats to vehicles, and particularly to light vehicles, in today's combat theaters. The explosive characteristics of mines and improvised explosive devices varies widely, ranging from relatively small devices to large, wired bombs and artillery shells.
Conventional vehicles that have been designed to mitigate the effects of such explosive devices are large and heavy, often weighing more than 5400 kilograms (kg, 6 tons). Such vehicles have limited tactical utility and transportability because of their extreme weight.
There are many vehicles configured to withstand explosive blasts that are well known in the art, however, considerable shortcomings remain.